Venice nabs Diot to run new mart

Fest aims to lure more buyers and sellers before Toronto

ROME — The Venice Film Festival has appointed French sales agent and producer Pascal Diot as topper of its new Venice Film Market and announced changes to its Lido digs.

Diot, who over the past two decades has held executive posts at companies including TF1, UGC, Canal Plus and Pathe, will launch a “light market” at Venice, as newly installed artistic director Alberto Barbera has described it.

The Lido’s pre-Toronto mart will run Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 in the Lido’s Excelsior Hotel, the fest’s main hub, where a digital video library, a business center and an industry club will be set up.

Barbera has said the idea is to lure more buyers and sellers to Venice before they segue to Toronto.

Meanwhile, the Venice Biennale will restyle the Palazzo del Cinema’s foyer and revamp and enlarge the Lido’s tiny Sala Pasinetti and Zorzi screening rooms. The small Sala Volpi will move temporarily to the first floor of the Casino as part of plans to rebuild it entirely.